Bang!: How We Came to Be

by Michael Rubino

"Bang! And that was it, the beginning of everything." So begins this beautifully illustrated, panoramic story of evolution. Author and illustrator Michael Rubino conveys not only the facts but also the excitement of the scientific explanation of our world, from the origin of the universe in the big bang to the present reality of our planet, teeming with life but threatened by overpopulation and pollution.Parents looking for an easy-to-understand guide to the scientific worldview for their children will find the perfect source here. The formation of stars and galaxies; the origin of our solar system and planet Earth; the epochal march of life from single-celled organisms through sponges, worms, insects, fish, dinosaurs, birds, and early mammals; and the evolution of the first humans from their simian cousins-it's all here. This book is an eloquent blend of art and science that tells the most important story so far known.

Genres: Science, Picture Books, Childrens

69 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2011

Reviews

[Joe Iacovino · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6yr old son and I took turns reading this to each other over the last few nights. The very large concepts were delivered well. Some of the vocabulary was challenging for my boy but, hey, that's how you learn... just be ready to stop and explain terms when needed. The takeaway here is that he really liked the book and as soon as we got to the KT he was more familiar with what was on the horizon (intuitively at times). It was there he kept asking for "one more page" even as night crept in. That is very telling. The illustrations are nicely done but would have liked to have had all creatures on the bottom of the text page labeled though.

In summary, a great job presenting large concepts to a young audience without dumbing it down. Cheers.

[Feral Words · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 7 year old LOVES this book.

For the inquisitive child who has a natural wonder to the order of things and the science behind where we came from, this is perfect!

I cannot recommend this book to enough people with young children. It is detailed in a simplistic way that translates well for children.

[Spencer Forsyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully done and absolutely beautiful!

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book, I am in love with the illustrations.

[Elsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated picture book on animal evolution

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a future science teacher, I often struggle with the idea that students may have little knowledge or instead misconceptions about the origins of life on Earth. This book, introduced in childhood, would work to address those concerns. Each page of this book features a beautiful illustration, reminiscent of paintings you might find in an art museum. I feel like this art helps to show that the world, and life itself, are beautiful things that should be appreciated. The book works as a detailed timeline of the evolution of life, starting from the Big Bang and ending with the development of humanity. It is clear why Richard Dawkins is referenced at the end, because his works definitely form an inspiration for how this book is organized. Quality books for children that show, in colorful detail and interesting descriptions, how life began and developed on Earth are lacking, so I would recommend this book as a welcome addition to any library, but especially to classroom libraries so children can begin forming the knowledge base they need to real succeed in a science class.

[Ibis3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love illustrated books, and this one is a particularly lush example. It tells the story of our origin, from expanding matter at the dawn of the Big Bang, to self-replicating molecules, to fish, mammals, monkeys, australopithecines, and, finally to modern human beings. On the recto, the author explains each step, usually with biological detail, and tells us about some of the other organisms that branched off at that specific point. On the verso, he offers a beautiful painting depicting the organism he's discussing.

In essence, this is an uncomplicated version of Richard Dawkins' brilliant book, The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution (which Mr Rubino acknowledges in his bibliography). Unlike The Ancestor's Tale, however, Bang! travels forward in time (from them to us) rather than backward (from parents to distant ancestors). Either way, one gets a great perspective on just how long the process took, and how, for much of the time since life began on the planet, it was fairly simple--most of the illustrations are of wormy and fishy beasties (but they're pretty--trust me).

When I read The Ancestor's Tale, I really became enthused about the concept, and I'm sure I would have loved a book like this when I was a kid. Not only does it tell the story of our evolutionary past in an engaging way, but it promises to provide a jumping off point for further exploration.

The only issue I had with this book is that people expect books illustrated in this format to be written for a younger age group, but the vocabulary of the text seemed to be appropriate for someone older. As an adult, the discrepancy didn't bother me personally, but I could see how it might be problematic for parents. A five- or six-year old might love the pictures but words like "choanoflagellates" or even "self-replicating" might go over their heads. On the other hand, a ten year old might start with the impression that the book is too "babyish" because of the format.

My answer? Go ahead and get it for both. Parents can paraphrase and explain difficult concepts for the younger ones, and convince older children to give the book a go on their own. This is a great addition to a growing library of books on evolution for kids. (9/10)

--
Social Issues Report Card (which I'm now doing on all reviews of kids' books)

Sexism, Heterosexism, Racism: all N/A

[Amy Bailey]

Wow! Really looking forward to reading this. Prometheus books puts out the kinds of things that people, both young and old, should be reading. This look at evolutionary biology is geared toward children, teaching them how the world came to be in easy terms. This is the kind of thing, the real truth, that parents should be teaching their children. It comes out in October, and hopefully this will be available in the library, but here in the Bible Belt, I don't know if it will be purchased. I might even go ahead and buy a copy for my future children. tee hee.

[Joey Iacovino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the pictures. I liked the story. It is very interesting how we came to be.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is geared toward young children, the information is kept basic. I have to admit I picked it up for the artwork, every page has something I could easily see myself framing and sticking on a wall.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great!